The present invention relates generally to product merchandising and display devices and, more particularly, to several embodiments of a merchandising unit adaptable for use with a support structure wherein a plurality of product containers are suspended in one or more adjacent rows from tracks or rails for slidable movement therealong towards a front portion of the unit for easy access and removal therefrom. The present suspension type unit includes an attachment mechanism for removably and adjustably mounting any number of a plurality of product holding racks to a support structure at various elevations therealong so as to more prominently display the lead product container in each product track for better visibility and customer recognition.
Suspension type devices for displaying and merchandising a wide variety of different types of soft drink and fruit juice products in supermarkets, convenience stores, and other retail outlets have gained considerable popularity among retailers and other merchandisers due to the fact that such devices are extremely effective in presenting substantially the entire product container for full view and easy access by consumers. Changes in consumer taste have caused an evolution towards taller product containers, especially taller soft drink and fruit juice containers, which taller containers tend to be more top heavy and more unstable when supported on a conventional product merchandising unit wherein the product containers rest upon a supporting floor surface. Suspension type devices have substantially eliminated the previous problems associated with conventional display units wherein such taller containers have a greater tendency to tip and fall over the shorter divider walls associated with such known product merchandising units into adjacent product channels thereby substantially hindering and disrupting the operation of such prior art devices. Product visibility and access to such products are increasingly important in today""s highly competitive retail soft drink market as soft drinks and fruit juices are often selected and purchased by impulse at point-of-sale and other locations throughout a retail outlet. Anything that detracts from a product""s attractiveness, visibility, or accessibility such as an obstructive or difficult to use display device will tend to cause customers to select a better displayed product. Suspension type devices present the product to consumers in an effective and attractive manner and such devices are easy to use and service by store personnel.
In the case of suspension type gravity feed merchandising display units, the products displayed on such units are successively advanced automatically towards the lower or forward end portion of the device as a forward most product container is removed by a consumer. Such gravity feed devices again provide better product visibility and accessibility and require less attention and maintenance since such devices display the product container attractively and in full view at the end of each product track.
There are many known suspension type devices in the art. One example of such a suspension type device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,075, which patent is owned by Applicant""s assignee. Display units utilizing suspension type devices typically comprise a support structure which has mounted thereon a plurality of merchandising suspension devices. Oftentimes, in a retail outlet, the support structure pre-exists such as the elongated support members associated with many cooler type display units commonly used in convenience stores and the like. These pre-existing support structures limit the ability of many devices to be used in association with such support structures due to dimensional variations thereby requiring the device to be custom manufactured with attendant inventory problems. Further, oftentimes, because of the weight that such devices must support, such devices must be strong yet light in weight in order to facilitate their easy use by store personnel. Another problem associated with many of the available suspension type merchandising display devices is that they require special tooling to manufacture. For example, some are made of molded plastic requiring expensive molds to be made in order to manufacture the various component parts. Further, in the case of molded units, they typically cannot be easily repaired. Still further, some devices are difficult to clean because of their overall construction and because they utilize large exposed surface areas. Thus, there is a need for an improved suspension type product merchandising display unit.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.
The present invention overcomes many of the shortcomings and limitations associated with the known suspension type devices and teaches the construction and operation of several embodiments of a suspension type merchandising display unit which includes a support structure having a plurality of attachment elements associated therewith for engaging and holding any plurality of suspension racks each adaptable for holding and displaying product containers. The suspension racks are carried by the support structure and are attached to the support structure by a plurality of the attachment members which are cooperatively engaged with the attachment elements associated with the support structure. Each suspension rack further includes a plurality of tracks each having a dispensing end positioned in spaced relation across a front face of the rack. The tracks may be level or inclined for gravity feed of the product containers. The tracks are adapted to receive therein product containers for releasable and slidable retention and movement therealong. At least some of the tracks are formed by a pair of spaced apart rigid wire or rod members adapted to engage an upper portion of a product container for storage therebetween in a suspended condition. The product containers are stored in a plurality of adjacent single file rows and stop means may be provided to prevent accidental discharge of the containers from a track.
The present invention also includes an informational tag rail or price rail adapted for releasable mounting onto merchandising display racks for the display of such information as advertising and product pricing. The tag rail includes an elongated panel member having front and rear surfaces. A pair of slots associated with the front face of the panel member are spaced apart from one another and open generally toward one another. The slots extend in a direction generally between the opposite ends of the panel member and are adapted for receiving and releasably retraining informational strip members. The tag rail further includes a plurality of clip members extending from a rear surface of the panel member which are positioned at various locations along the length thereof. Each clip member has a pair of resiliently deformable opposite end portions having a space therebetween, this space being less than the transverse dimension of the rod member onto which the tag rail is to be mounted for releasably retaining the tag rail onto the display rack.
The present suspension type product merchandising display racks provide greater flexibility and are more easily positionable and adjustable vertically on the support structure so as to more readily and easily accommodate product containers of varying size and shape. The present suspension racks likewise more prominently display and present the lead bottle or lead product container in each product track for easy and convenient removal.
These and other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the following detailed specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.